Behold The FrankenKorg 800!

This video, via opl3toshiba, demonstrates the Frankenkorg 800 – a custom frankensynth, made up of a modified Korg Poly 800, an Alesis Nanoverb, a laptop computer and more.

Here are the technical details:

This Korg Poly 800 keyboard is modified with the Moog Slayer mod, FM 800 mod, 12/24 db filter switch, VCF external audio in, an Alesis Nanoverb, and a Toshiba Libretto laptop computer. An Alesis Nanoverb and a Toshiba Libretto have never been built into a Korg Poly 800 synthesizer, until now.

In this video I play the FrankenKorg to demonstrate most of its features and sound possibilities. Every sound is generated inside the FrankenKorg; no external effects were used. At some points during the video, I use a foot pedal I designed that connects to the synthesizer and controls the internal VCF cutoff. The video was recorded with a Sony DXC-327 and the audio was recorded with Pro Tools.

A Toshiba Libretto 50CT laptop was designed to fit where the programming decal was on the original Poly 800. The Korg’s midi out is connected to the input of the MPU-401 controller in the Libretto and the audio output of the Libretto is switchable to either the VCF ext. in or the input of the Nanoverb.

In this video, I used the software wavetable and OPL3 FM synthesis chip in the Libretto. The Alesis Nanoverb circuit board sits underneath the Libretto’s keyboard inside the FrankenKorg. Controlling the Nanoverb is accomplished through five of the eight added knobs on the Korg’s casing. The Nanoverb’s audio out can be routed through its original 1/4 inch outputs as well as the headphone output of the Korg. The Nanoverb provides reverb, delay, flange, rotary and chorus effects.

There’s still a place for a compact combo computer KB / Music KB, fully integrated, with a USB interface… The synth + effect engine maybe questionned… Anyway, always good to see people hacking hardware in this world of quick and dirty bad hacked software 🙂